Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) is the principle of separating network functions from the hardware they run on through virtual hardware abstraction, and is the focus of an industry effort to virtualize network equipment using generic hardware platforms for the purpose of reducing cost, improving operation efficiency, and enabling new service adaptability (See Network Functions Virtualization (NFV); Infrastructure Overview, ETSI GS NFV-INF 001 V1.1.1 (2015-01), http://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_gs/NFV-INF/001_099/001/01.01.01_60/gs_NFV-INF001v010101p.pdf, which is hereby incorporated into this application in its entirety).
Run-time instantiations of the virtual network functions (VNFs) (referred to as “VNF instances”) are created by completing the instantiation of the VNF software on a NVF host, as well as by establishing connectivity between the VNF instances. This can be accomplished using the VNF deployment and operational information captured during VNF deployment, as well as additional run-time instance-specific information and constraints. Each of the VNF instances requires a designation of the capacity required for that instance. It is desirable that the capacity utilization of all of the VNFs on a particular hardware platform uses the capacity of that hardware platform efficiently.